Visions: The Toastmaster Room

This is one of my favorite stories to present, I can’t imagine anyone objecting to the “concept design” of this story!

Enjoy!  Sincerely, Gwen Newclear The Poet

The Toastmaster Room

Although I have a “real passion” for architecture, I will not be detailing out any functional goals except what will be suggested in this story. The reason for this is simply that I am not qualified to make such suggestions. In the New Age, Architects will be working with the school board and public schools teachers for school design.

The focus of the New Age Early Education schools will be on Beauty and bringing our children to God. We might want to consider inscribing the following into each school so that we never forget:

All Children Are Gifted

In God We Trust

A highly skilled architect can design to bring light into a building beautifully which acts as a highly inspirational tool. But there will be one room without windows: The Toastmaster Room. This room will be an interior room, mainly because windows can be a distraction.

During my engineering career days I had the opportunity to be involved in two Toastmaster Clubs (during different periods of my life) and I visited a couple of Toastmaster Clubs. The two clubs that I was an active member were held in hotel banquet rooms which served beautifully in providing a professional atmosphere. Tables were arranged in a horseshoe fashion with a podium in the open area. The podium had a Toastmaster seal and was equipped with a microphone and gavel. The tables were covered with white table clothes and a “reasonably priced” dinner was served. As members enjoyed their meals the Table-Topics portion of the meeting was conducted. I learned quickly: not to put too much food in my mouth at once.

When I went back to Fluor Daniel after having my son, Nick, I heard that there was a “Lunch-Time Toastmasters” program offered. Some employees referred to this Toastmaster program as “Brown Bag Toastmasters”. Having spent so many years in Toastmasters, I was anxious to “check out” this Brown Bag Toastmasters. So one day at lunchtime I walked into the Brown Bag Toastmasters’ room. It was a small room with only one table and a short podium at one end. There was no white table cloth  or eating utensils, and of course we were not served a meal. The small number of Toastmasters that attended simply opened up their brown bag meals and the room quickly filled with an unpleasant odor. There were not enough people and there was not enough time to complete a full-blown Toastmaster meeting. Introductions were overlooked and the effect was dull and uninspiring. It was when the man sitting next to me “ripped out a belch” towards the end of the meeting that convinced me that Brown Bag Toastmasters was not for me. I could not see where this implementation of Toastmasters had ANY productive value.

When implementing Toastmasters in our public schools keep in mind that atmosphere is of PRIMARY importance. The Toastmaster Room should be a place of reverence. This is where our children will be learning respect, values, and social skills. Toastmaster meetings always begin with prayer conducted by an assigned Toastmaster. This helps to set the tone for an inspiring and enriching experience that a properly conducted Toastmasters program provides.

Here are a few suggestions for Toastmaster Room Design:

• Wood trimming or paneled walls
• Low ceiling for acoustical purposes
• Room could be equipped with a projection screen for PowerPoint Presentations
• Carpeting to keep noise level down to almost nothing
• A richly designed podium
• A time clock with three large lights: yellow, red, green. The time clock should be visible from the podium without the speaker having to turn his head.
• Good overall lighting when Table-Topics are being conducted
• Subdued lighting with spotlighting on the podium during the prepared speech part of the program.
• Professional chairs and tables. White table cloths will be a MUST.
• Since video taping would be beneficial for the students; video taping equipment could be designed into the room.

The message that the design of the Toastmaster Room must convey to our children:

• They are very important
• Their education is of extreme importance
• This is where the most valuable educational experience will take place

We can only “set the stage” for our children to learn. The Toastmaster Room will be the most reverent and most highly regarded place in the school. It should be regarded in the same way the pulpit or altar is regarded in a church. The Toastmaster Room will be:

A Place of Reverence